New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-07-22
MINOR FICTION.



Rather LOw-GRADE ORE
pNvIRoxMErr: sroHY or M i2po pp. 4oS Funk
dwaGnalA
rHE cERULEANa A VACATION rDYLL By FL D.
CuNNrNoHAM l2mo. PIP 3e6. Macmillan 70.
rHRKLA. STORY OF vIENNEsE MUSICAL LIFE, LIE
By WILLIAM AKasrNoNo. 12mos pr zSS fAiss-
dclphis: ). B. Lppincets Co
THE CONFESSIONS OF A SOCIETY MAN. Edited By
Mss sLAscns CoSsciEScE. limo pp' 100 Bel
Asa rue the reader Of fiction strongly ressnts all
attempts to preach at him through that vehicle
He shuns the novel with purpose very much ~
woridly-wise people shun the enthusiasts Of ono
idea 1t 10 permissible ia play upon single string
only when tue player il Psgsnini and the strtrg
fiddle string, and In fiction, when amnsemsnt ana
not instruction 10 sought the revolt against dfdso
ticism is % pronounced that OF the child whose
confidence In the delsctableness OF preserves mas
been ru6 ely shall by the surrcpttious oxnioiton
Of nasty physic disguised In tho oothsome Jam OF
ielIy The author Of Environment has violated
the uuwritten Law which inhibts tnis Kind VI
pyeudo-fction. She has written novel WIN
purpose And YET it must be admitted that sne mas
done her spiriting gently, and that the purpose 10
introduced and dealt with 20 clsveriv that the
orthedox feeling of repulsion is conspicuous by its
absence. The main object of the story ID to show
hos q GOOD and refined wsmsn, In whom strong
appetite for stimulants had been cultivated
through their prescription by physician. succeeds
in III Grating herself from the habit for time, Sut
being again attacked by disease il ordered to take
stlmulants as the sole of saving her life, and
as q result becomes . drunkard and sinks until
mental recovery seems almost hopelesa TIE de-
scrption Of the successive steps downward and tine
ANALYSIS of the miserable womsns useless struggles
and ultimate abandonment to the 6erce thirst are
neatly done. The general paralysis of the moral
sense which accompanies this hideous disease 10 do
scribed with decided power. Her step-daughter, a
beautiful and srrpng-willed girl, tardily dis
covers the condition of tho victm and theneeforth
devotes herself to the cure. The authors knowl-
e1ge of the subject shown in the device which,
by GRIPPING and thus combining the patient to he'd
for several weeks, affords opportunity for effectng
O solid cure. In truth. bat for that accident the
case would real ife-have been hopeless The
instances in which women who have fallen 80 lar
recover are rare W hen once the drink habit has
taken hold on them to ne extent Of extingnishng
their sefresr ect their love of truth their affection
for their husbands, children, friends, unless they
can be put and kept for long time where IL is
absolutely impossible to obtain intoxicants, they
will pursue their stealthy drinking by hook or by
crook despite all precautions, and will risk any
danger or shame to procure liquor. Evidently this
and consequently she has given picture which
Ii true to nature ana to science, and which is all
the stronger because scarcely any comment Is
made upou the facts themselves The story 10
really an interesting one and 1t will in many
instances evoke q sympathy born of that direct ex-
perience which is always most convincing
"The C9ru,eaus seems to contxn q good deal
Of direct reporting from India station, and the
- MIA md he 10
monpIace in conception outside of this novel
cement ana .he invented portion of it is less well
done than tina: furnished by the authors memory
and observa alton. The various Indian officials are
described with much penetration and good.
humored satire, and 1t Is toersbly clear that most
If not all of them portraits The story turns on
the fortunes of ordinary kind of extrsvaGant.
unprncipled clever, fascinating young man, who
marries o girl very much better than himself and
forthwith proceeds to lisilusionize her, though
q aduallv and without tho intention to change any
thiLg. There is very superior Indian officer who
falls desperately in love with the young wife and
then docs his duty and leaves her, The bad hus-
baud is conveniently removed" by an accident.
and the widow returns home to England Nothing
Is limited as to tue future, but nobody will doubt
the determination OF the very superior officer to
take up the running again the moment the days
of mourning expire. But it is clear that Mr.. Cum
bingham is not a IeaIist, or he would moi have
Killed his herD of summarily In life it - the
weak principled who bring trouble upon Others, no
doubt, but as to themselves their very weakness
seems to befrend and buoy them mp, and they are
apt to finish up all their friends before they shoot
Niagara In proper person.
@Thekla" is by no means . bad story. 1t is that
of Bsvariar girl With beau iful voice who goes
to Vienna for training and ecpses all the stars OF
the period. She is fallen in love with by Hum
garian policeman and has various mild but neatly
told ad ventures not calculated to move fhe most
ssnsitive pulse. Thekla 10 . nice girl and she
lodges with q queer woman who has three odd
daughters. Evidently the accounts of the Zwicker
family were intended to be humorous but the
quality OF the humor 10 rather heavy. Sooth to say,
the tale of The poor country girl whose voice is so
wonderful that directly it is heard all the reisning
prime dome sink into insignifcance. and rho scars
at once TO the very topmost pinnacle of fame and
the income of female Monte Cristo, has been
good deal overd0ne. Realism seems to demand the
story OF the girls who think they have marvellous
yoces who 20 to Europe to be trained and devol-
,ped and then discover that their voices are not
mar kabie and who pas. through all manner of trials
and difficulties to be snubbcd and rejected and
laughed at and pooh-pooheo at last and who
finally are glad to obtain small salaries as chorus
singers or general utility concert artists and so rub
on through life in a humdrum way That Is the
kind of musical novel realism calls for and Mr.
Armstrong would better set about the collection of
n aierials for it.
There is certainly nothing in the Confessions of
. Society Man to dsm0ralize the feeblest reader.
Il is impossible to imagine Any one who has
waded through this dreary volume being seized
With yesrniug to 90 and be a society man like
wIse IL is inieed to be remembered that this par
ticular society man represents himself as living
at Philadelphia though dare not suggest that 1t
Is the local color" which renders his confessions
80 wearisonle. lie is the lazy son of banker who
has spo led him. Hs notion of society is lot of
vulgar and coarseminded young men who alternate
II